Gibson Custom Historic VOS LPR-6 1956 Reissue Gold Top – USA 2011

The Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul ’56 Goldtop (Model LPR-6) is a faithful reproduction of the original 1956 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop. It has been crafted to capture the look, feel and sound of the original, and it does not disappoint.

The legendary Les Paul evolved throughout the 1950s, and the major ingredients really started to come together when the Goldtop earned a tune-o-matic bridge to join the two sweet P 90 pickups which had adorned the model since its inception in 1954.

This is a ’56 Historic Reissue VOS (Vintage Original Spec) “R6″ in excellent condition and in perfect working order. More rare than many of the Custom Shop’s Historic Les Paul Standard reissues, this R6 is an absolute joy to play and the perfect blend of early Les Paul features and optimal playability.

Well balanced and acoustically resonant at 8.74 lbs, this Les Paul has a very powerful and authoritative tone unplugged that translates well through the P-90 pickups. The gold nitro lacquer is quite stunning, and the classic combination of a carved maple top and solid mahogany body delivers “that” sound.

The original single coil Gibson P-90s on this guitar sound fantastic. They are powerful and complex, with an extremely musical set of tones that range from growl and aggressive cut in the bridge position, to detailed and harmonically rich sounds in the neck and combined positions.

Excelling both at cleans and high gain crunch, this Custom Shop R6 model epitomises the quality craftsmanship and attention to detail that has made Gibson’s VOS line a favourite with both players and collectors.

The quartersawn mahogany neck has a chunky “Big C” profile that’s in the “meaty” territory without reaching the more extreme thick neck depths seen on some R8 reissues. The shoulders are full and well rounded, and the gloss nitro lacquer finish on the rear is super smooth to the touch.

The rosewood fretboard is a rich, dark brown colour with tight grain, pearloid trapezoid inlays and aged cream binding that cleanly covers the ends of the frets as per Gibson factory spec. The frets show very little wear, the truss rod is responsive in both directions, and this guitar plays beautifully with no buzzing or dead spots anywhere on the neck.

The headstock has all of the hallmarks of a true ’50s instrument, with the thin holly veneer, 17 degree angle, inked serial number, and Kluson Deluxe tuners. The 1 11/16” nut is Gibson standard width.

All of the electronics work as they should, with the original pots, and Bumblebee tone caps all in place. The hardware features that light patina on the nickel bridge and tailpiece that Gibson Custom applies at the factory. The stock gold speed knobs are present, as well as the original pickguard and amber switch tip.

Cosmetically, this guitar has been very well cared for, and appears to have been played only lightly in its life to date. It is played in, and presents in excellent condition. There is some light player wear apparent if you look hard, but no significant dings, dents or marks anywhere on the top, back & sides.

Very simply, this guitar is a pro player which looks fantastic and delivers the kind of resonant, rich tones expected from a Gibson Custom Shop VOS guitar. Includes its Gibson Custom Shop Certificate of Authenticity.

Comes in its Gibson hardshell case in excellent condition.

Features:

Action at 1st fret: 0.25mm

Action at 12th fret: 1.5mm

Neck depth at 1st fret: 23.52mm

Neck depth at 12th fret: 26.07mm

Nut Width: 43.42mm

12 fret width: 52.69mm

Weight: 3.97kg / 8.74lb

Carved maple top

Mahogany back

Single-ply cream binding on top

Thin toggleswitch washer and jack plate

Antique Gold finish

ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge

One-piece mahogany neck with long tenon

22-fret rosewood fingerboard

Acrylic trapezoid inlays

Early '50s rounded neck profile

24 3/4" scale length

Vintage tulip tuners

P-90 single-coil pickups

CTS pots and bumblebee capacitors

2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way selector switch